Old House Vineyards is a winery that is a world apart from the majority of its cohorts.  I took the trip out to Culpeper, Virginia to visit this family-owned vineyard just yesterday and quickly fell in love with it.  The tasting menu, longer than expected, boasted a series of original wines, each with such memorable flavors that, at the end of the session, I had starred about three-quarters of the list as “to buy.”  Once I had made my selections and walked outside of this historic-feeling Virginia building (hence, Old House), I was greeted by rows and rows of beautiful vines as well as a lake and its small (manmade) island.  We spent the rest of the evening roaming around its grounds, just taking in the beautiful day.   This local Virginian winery is a must on any trip to the region.

-Serena

Still have local acorn squash and onions in your pantry from this past fall?  Have an herb garden at home that’s growing mint?  Consider using it in this incredibly flavorful recipe, adapted from the Food Network.
    Olive oil
2 acorn squash, halved
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup green lentils, rinsed and cleaned
1 cup brown rice (or a mixture of mostly brown rice)
1 tablespoon coriander
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons curry powder
Salt and pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, sliced
Fresh flat-leaf parsley and mint, for garnish

Split the squash in half and remove the seeds and fibers. Brush the flesh with olive oil and sprinkle with cinnamon, salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 30 minutes, until fork tender. Cool and set aside.
Combine lentils and rice in a medium saucepan; add coriander, bay leaf, curry powder, salt and pepper. Pour in 3 1/2 cups of broth to cover by at least 2 inches. Turn the heat to medium and cook 30 to 45 minutes, stirring frequently. If you need to add more liquid to keep the mixture wet do so, a little at a time.
Meanwhile, place olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring until softened, about 10 minutes.

Rehydrate the apricots with remaining 1/4 cup vegetable stock.  Let sit.

Once the lentils and rice and cooked through and the onions look ready, add the onions to the mixture of the former.  Stir completely.  Then, add the apricot mixture and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add these components to the roasted acorn squash, using the half squashes as bowls. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and mint.

-Serena

I love this: according to Jill Richardson from La Vida Locavore, Ben & Jerry’s is looking to create an ice-cream flavor whose name sums up the Bush administration.  Just a few of my personal favorites: Credit Crunch, Iraqi Road, and Nut’n Accomplished.  Check out the whole list of spoofs. 

-Serena

A bill that was suggested in late January, “…to authorize the interstate traffic of unpasteurized milk and milk products that are packaged for direct human consumption ” appears to have been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce without further action having been taken. Republican representative Ron Paul from Texas was the individual to introduce this potential piece of legislation to Congress.
In the meantime, the topic of milk has remained a matter of concern across America.  The majority of dairy farmers, faced with decreases in the price of industrial milk products, are losing money at extraordinary rates.  If the U.S. wants to see its milk industry kept alive, the time for legislative change is now.

-Serena